1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data output apparatus and a data output method for print, display and tabular-outputting data input from external sources, such as a document, an image and a numeric value.
2. Description of the Related Art
If, for example, a display and a printer are connected to a computer such as a personal computer and an application software with a word processing function and a drawing function is executed on the personal computer, then document data or image data can be generated by the personal computer, displayed on a display portion and printed on a paper sheet.
In addition, if executing an application software with an operational function and a tabular function on the personal computer, a table or a graph can be generated based on numeric data input into the computer, displayed on the display portion and printed on a paper sheet.
The document data or image data thus generated by the application software with the word processing function or the drawing function may be created in a data format specific to the application software. In this case, it is required to re-execute the application software, by which the document data or the image data was generated, and to utilize the display function or the print function of the application software in order to display or print the document or image data.
There are actually various types of application software with word processing functions or a drawing functions, so are various types of document data or image data formats. Due to this, if document data or image data which has been generated by an application software different in type from that can be executed on a user""s personal computer, it sometimes may not be able to be displayed or printed using the computer, which causes inconvenience to the user involved.
Further, it is often necessary to set a paper size and a printing method and the like every time the document data or image data is printed using an application software with a word processing function or a drawing function, which results in complicated print operation.
The inconvenience and complicated print operation are also the case with generating and outputting a table or a graph using an application software having an operation function or a tabular function.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a data output apparatus and a data output method capable of comprehensively conducting output process such as display, print and tabular output to data set including, for example, document data and image data, without need of executing the application software corresponding to their individual data formats.
The aforementioned object can be achieved by a data output apparatus according to the present invention. The data output apparatus is an apparatus for receiving a data set input from an external source, processing the data set according to an output process, and outputting the processed data set. The data set includes, for example, character data, image data and numeric data. The output process includes, for example, conversion of data formats, conversion of data arrangements, calculation for data processing, and addition of other data. The output process is, for example, a printing process, a displaying process, a transmitting process and a tabular-outputting process.
The apparatus of the present invention has: a storage device in which a first storage area is formed in advance; a first receiving device for receiving a parameter set for setting a condition of the output process, and storing the received parameter set into the first storage area; a forming device for forming a second storage area in the storage device, and linking the formed second storage area with the received parameter set; a second receiving device for receiving the data set, and storing the received data set into the second storage area; a processing device for identifying the parameter set linked with the second area in which the received data set is stored, setting the condition of the output process according to the identified parameter set, and processing the received data set according to the output process whose condition is set by the identified parameter set; and an output device for outputting the processed data set.
The parameter set includes parameters for setting a condition of the output process. For example, if the output process is a printing process, the parameter set includes parameters representing: printing types, print positions, sheet sizes and the like. If the output process is a displaying process, the parameter set includes parameters representing: display types, display positions, display sizes and the like. If the output process is a transmitting process, the parameter set includes parameters representing: addresses for transmitting data, transmission speeds and the like. If the output process is a tabular-outputting process, the parameter set includes parameters representing: functions for calculation, display positions of tabular-data and the like.
In operation, the first receiving device receives a parameter set and stores it into the first storage area of the storage device. When the parameter set is received, the forming device forms the second storage area in the storage device, and links it with the received parameter set. If several different parameter sets are received, the forming device forms the several different second storage areas in the storage device, and links them with the received parameter sets, respectively. That is, the forming device adds the second storage area in the storage device one after another, whenever the different parameter set is received. After the second storage area is formed, the second receiving device can receive the data set. When the data set is sent from an external source to the data output apparatus, the second receiving device receives it, and stores it into the second storage device. Then, the processing device searches the first storage area for the parameter set linked with the second storage area in which the received data set is stored, and identifies the parameter set linked with this second storage area. Then, the processing device sets the condition of the output process according to the identified parameter set, and process the data set according to the output process. Next, the output device outputs the processed data set. For example, if the output process is a printing process, the output device prints out the processed data set. If the output process is a transmitting process, the output device transmits the processed data set.
As can be understood from the above, according to the data output apparatus of the present invention, the user firstly inputs the parameter set into the first storage area of the data output apparatus. As a result, the second storage area is formed in the data output apparatus. The user secondly inputs the data set into this second storage area. As a result, the data set is processed according to the output process whose condition is set by the parameter set input by the user.
Thus, if the user only input the parameter set and the data set to the data output apparatus, the data set is processed and output automatically. Therefore, an application soft ware for processing the data set is not required. Furthermore, if the user inputs one parameter set and several or a large number of data sets, continuously or simultaneously, the several or a large number of data sets are continuously processed and output by using the same parameter set. Therefore, the several or large number of data sets can be easily and comprehensively processed and output. Moreover, if the data output apparatus has format conversion functions, data sets having various different formats can be processed and output in such a easy operation.
The data output apparatus may further include a determining device for determining whether or not the first receiving device receives the parameter set. In this case, when the determining device determines that the first receiving device receives the parameter set, the forming device forms the second storage area and links the formed second storage area with the received parameter set. Therefore, the user feels that the second storage area can be easily formed only by input of the parameter set.
Furthermore, the data output apparatus may further include another determining device for determining whether or not the second receiving device receives the data set. In this case, when the determining device determines that the second receiving device receives the data set, the processing device identifies the parameter set, sets the condition of the output process, and processes the received and stored data set, and the output device outputs the processed data set. Therefore, the user feels that the data set can be easily processed and output only by input of the data set.
Moreover, the forming device may include a link data generating device for generating link data representing a linkage between the parameter set and the second storage area, and storing the generated link data into the storage device. In this case, the processing device can easily identify the parameter set by referring to the generated link data.
Moreover, the data output apparatus may further include a message output device for outputting a message when the parameter set that has been now received by the first receiving device is the same as the parameter set that has been previously received by the first receiving device. The parameter set that is the same as one that has been previously received is not required. Therefore, if such a parameter set is received, the message output device outputs a message to inform the user of this fact. Accordingly, it can be prevented that the second storage area is double formed in the storage device.
Moreover, the data output apparatus may further include a text data generating device for generating text data representing the content of the parameter set received by the first receiving device, and storing the generated text data into the storage device. Therefore, the user can easily view the text data by using a text editor, a word processing software or the like, so that user can easily confirm the parameters included in the parameter set.
Moreover, the data output apparatus may further include a transferring device for transferring the data set from the second storage area to a third storage area which is formed in advance in the storage device, when the data set has been output by the output device. Therefore, the data set that has not been processed yet and the data set that has been already processed can be easily discriminated.
Moreover, the data output apparatus may further include a deleting device for deleting the data set stored in the third storage area, when a predetermined period of time has passed since the data set was transferred to the third storage area. Therefore, it is possible to prevent that the third storage area is filled with useless data set. The deleting device deletes the data set after waiting a predetermined period of time, so that it can be prevented to delete useful data set.
The aforementioned object can be also achieved by another data output apparatus in accordance with the preset invention. The data output apparatus includes: a storage device having a storage area; a receiving device for receiving the data set and a parameter set for setting a condition of the output process, and storing the received data set and the received parameter set into the storage area; a managing device for managing the received data set and the receiving parameter set such that the received data set and the receiving parameter set are linked with each other; a processing device for identifying the received parameter set linked with the received data set, setting the condition of the output process according to the identified parameter set, and processing the received data set according to the output process whose condition is set by the identified parameter set; and an output device for outputting the processed data set.
In this data output apparatus, the receiving device receives both the data set and a parameter set and stores both the received data set and the received parameter set into the common storage area. The managing device manages the received data set and the receiving parameter set such that the received data set and the receiving parameter set are linked with each other. The processing device identifies the received parameter set linked with the received data set, sets the condition of the output process according to the identified parameter set, and processes the received data set according to the output process. The output device outputs the processed data set.
According to this data output apparatus of the present invention, if the user only inputs the parameter set and the data set into the single storage area, the data set is automatically processed according to the output process whose condition is set by the parameter set. Therefore, an application soft ware for processing the data set is not required.
In this data output apparatus, the processing device may set the condition of the output process according to a default parameter set which is pre-stored in the storage device, when the processing device fails in identifying the parameter set. Therefore, the receiving device receives only the data set, the data set is processed by using the default parameter.
The above-mentioned object can be also achieved by a data output method in accordance with the present invention. The data output method is a method of receiving a data set input from an external source, processing the data set according to an output process, and outputting the processed data set. The data output method has the processes of: receiving a parameter set for setting a condition of the output process, and storing the received parameter set into a first storage area formed in advance in a storage device; forming a second storage area in the storage device, and linking the formed second storage area with the received parameter set; receiving the data set, and storing the received data set into the second storage area; identifying the parameter set linked with the second area in which the received data set is stored, setting the condition of the output process according to the identified parameter set, and processing the received data set according to the output process whose condition is set by the identified parameter set; and outputting the processed data set. Therefore, by using this method, it is possible to comprehensively conduct the output process to the data sets without need of executing the application software corresponding to their individual data formats.
The aforementioned object can be further achieved by another data output method in accordance with the present invention. The data output method is a method of receiving a data set input from an external source, processing the data set according to an output process, and outputting the processed data set. The data output method has the processes of: receiving the data set and a parameter set for setting a condition of the output process, and storing the received data set and the received parameter set into a storage area of a storage device; managing the received data set and the receiving parameter set such that the received data set and the receiving parameter set are linked with each other; identifying the received parameter set linked with the received data set, setting the condition of the output process according to the identified parameter set, and processing the received data set according to the output process whose condition is set by the identified parameter set; and outputting the processed data set. Therefore, by using this method, it is possible to comprehensively conduct the output process to the data sets without need of executing the application software corresponding to their individual data formats.
The nature, utility, and further feature of this invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings briefly described below.